Internet Safety

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP & ONLINE SAFETY

How can you be safe online and what does it mean to be a digital citizen?
Being online is second nature for young people today. You should take a minute or two to think about how to keep yourself safe. You probably know more about the technology than your mom, dad or guardian - you should also be the safety expert. You'll need this knowledge for the rest of your life.

YET ANOTHER CYBERBULLYING CAUTION

If you don't know by now, cyberbullying is bullying or harassment that happens online. It can happen in an email, a text message, a game, or on a social networking site. It might involve spreading rumors or images posted on someone's profile or passed around for others to see, or creating a group or page to make a person feel left out.

What do you do if you are being harassed online?
Most importantly, don't respond, bullies usually are looking for a reaction and tell an adult. In addition, save the evidence, such as texts, emails, facebook conversations, etc. Sometimes you can stop bullying if you ignore or block the person. You can also report the abuse to the website where it is taking place.

Don't be a victim or a bullySometimes, what you do or say online leads some people to pick on you. If you let your friends take a photo or video of you acting silly - and they post it online, people are probably going to comment that you are, in fact acting weird.

If you post a rude comment about someone or about something someone likes, then don't be surprised if you get back what you have dished out. Think about what you are writing or what's being recorded about you. If it's not something you'd want the whole world to know about, it's probably best to hit delete.

SAFER SOCIAL NETWORKING

If you're collecting Facebook friends like spare change - you could be setting yourself up for trouble. One thoughtless post and that's hundred of people who will share it and spread it. There are no do-overs online so choose your friends wisely. And if you wouldn't say it to your boss or your grandmother, don't say it online.

If you ever receive hurtful or abusive messages or posts on your profile page you have options. Depending on how serious the situation is, you can ignore it, ask the person to stop, unfriend or block the person, or tell your parents, a teacher, a counselor, or another adult you trust. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

Be sure to report abusive content - whether it's on your profile page, or someone else's. You can also report inappropriate Pages, Groups, Events and fake or impostor profiles. (Reporting is confidential, no one will know who made the report.)

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COMMON SENSE

Just like there's lots of ways to have fun online, there's lots of ways be unsafe.

Download a virus when you think you're getting smiley-face icons, fall for a scam and give up your mom's credit card number, give a predator your date of birth...thankfully, there are things you can do to protect yourself.